A Bitter Kiss
by Shadowdust258
Summary: A bitter kiss will bring him to his knees. Every time. One kiss and you can regain control. One kiss and you can reclaim your life. One kiss and you reputation can be restored. Or destroyed.
1. A Bitter Kiss

I was once told that a well placed kiss is the best revenge. Whether it be to arouse dark feelings of jealously in the veins of the one who wronged you. Whether it be to tease. Perhaps even to torment.

A bitter kiss will bring him to his knees. Every time.

One kiss and you can regain control. One kiss and you can reclaim your life. One kiss and you reputation can be restored. Or destroyed. One kiss and all will be forgotten and everything will be as it was once before.

I can do it. After everything he's done to me. I can do this. Without hesitation. Without remorse. I won't falter. He deserves so much worse than what I'm going to do to him. I'm sure he'll be able to recover his good standing in his circle. He always seems to. No matter what happens. This will just be one tiny little uncomfortable second in his otherwise perfect life. He'll have the money, the charming wife, the exotic mistresses, the perfect children. There's no question about it. Draco Malfoy was born to have the perfect Death Eater's life.

And I will go back to what I had before the events of the past few months happened. Everything will go back to normal after tonight.

I'll make sure of it.

I take my time as I make my way up to the main hall. I feel the eyes of society on my back. But I keep my head up high. It will all be over soon. It's a shame about the location; Theodore Nott and Padma Patil's wedding reception. But it has to be public.

People have to see.

People have to wonder.

People have to gossip.

I slip into an empty seat across from him. He's sitting next to his fiancée. They're not touching though. Not holding hands. No warm hand caressing the inside of the other's thigh. Nothing. They sit next to each other. But faced in opposite directions. Both absorbed in different conversations.

They don't love each other. I know that much at least. It's just another arranged marriage between pure-blooded families. Strangely though, I'm not comforted by the fact that he's going to be trapped in a loveless marriage for the rest of his life. You think I would be after my humiliation last month. But no. I secretly hope that he is going to be positively miserable with her but deep, deep down I want him to be truly happy.

But first I need my life back.

He looks up. I meet his gaze. He smirks. I turn my head towards a passing waiter and take a flute of champagne. When I look up his seat is empty.

I sense him behind me. He pauses there a second before bending over me to whispering in my ear. "Care to dance, Granger?" he said as he extended his hand for me to take. It wasn't really a request, no matter how he phrased it; I knew I had no choice.

"Thought you'd never ask, Malfoy" I reply as I slip my hand into his. Every touch electric. Well, to me anyway. I'm never able to tell what he's thinking. He hides his emotions so well. Whereas, I know he can read me like an open book. He's always been able to do that. To watch me. To know me.

He leads me to the dance floor. We take up our positions. Ready for battle. My hand on his shoulder just inches away from the bare skin of his neck. I can feel his hand through the light fabric of my dress. Strong hands. Beautiful hands. Our hands clasp and we start to move slowly around the dance floor. I shake my head. I can't let myself become unfocused. I came here for a reason. But he knows just how to get under my skin. To get inside my head. To possess me in any way he pleases. But I think I know his weakness.

It's quite simple.

Pure, unadulterated desire.

Time to make him suffer.

We glide across the marble floor. I do my utmost to try to stop my fingers trembling. I avidly avoid his eyes. Merlin only knows what those eyes can do to me. They make my legs turn to jelly. When he looks at me I want nothing more to be his. Only his. Forever. I could get lost in those eyes for eternity. I would happily drown in those grey pools of darkness for the rest of my existence. But that's not possible now. He's not mine. I'm not his. The only thing I can do is try to reclaim my life, the way it was before _this_ happened. I have to be strong.

"Granger, look at me" I hear him mutter. I did as he commanded. I raise my eyes to meet his. I keep strong though. I can't fail. Not tonight. It's my only chance.

"Granger, what is this? Why are you here? What are you trying to prove?"

"Its nothing personal…just revenge" I smile sadly.

"Revenge is always personal, Granger"

"Maybe so." I conceded. "I'm sorry"

"So what is it the Gryffindor Princess has planned for me?" he asked, holding my eyes with his. His mouth transformed into a smirk.

"You'll see"

He moved his mouth next to my ear. "Do your worst"

Lust, it has to be said, is a dangerous weapon. But it can also be a _very_ effective weapon. If used correctly, of course.

I sneak a glance behind me. Sure enough, we have a captive audience all vying for an exclusive look at the new development in the most talked about scandal since Gregory Goyle was caught making out with the pool boy.

I turn back to Malfoy. Now's the time. I let my finger touch the bare skin over the collar of his shirt. Softly run it back and forth. I feel his eyes boring into me the entire time. But I can also feel how his arm tightens around my waist. Just a fraction. But enough to know that I'm having an impact. Albeit a slight one. Thus far at least.

The music changes. I move in closer; resting my head on his shoulder. Another battle of wills. Who can stand the close contact longest? At least I had come knowing what I was letting myself in for. Hopefully that would work in my advantage. I let my lips graze his neck lightly. I feel him stiffen.

"Hermione…"


	2. Scandal

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! Though I wish i did! ;)_**

**Ok so this is A Bitter Kiss chapter 2! This story is going to be about four chapters! I wrote it because i haven't been on fanfiction for a while and i wanted to write something else to get back into the swing of things before finishing M'anam Chara! I haven't forgotten about it. I've just had a lot to deal with at school and everything. I'm halfway through writing the next chapter of it though. It should be up this weekend. There are about 3 chapters left in that story! **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Somewhere I hear the song finish and people applaud. But it is so far away from where I am. I am lost in my own little space with no-one but Draco.

Without any preamble he grabs me by the wrist, hauling me through the crowds of people who were watching the display. He drags me in silence down two corridors until we wind up and the reception desk in the front lobby.

The receptionist is chatting away happily on the phone. He slams his fist down on the desk to attract her attention. Clearly he was not in a mood to be messed with.

"I'm going to have to call you back" the receptionist mutters quickly before putting down the receiver. She flashes him a wide smile. "Can I help you, sir?"

"I require a room. Right now. It doesn't matter the cost."

"Of course, sir. Room 272 is free. I'll just get you the keys" she says as she scurries into the back room. She returns moments later with a set of keys. "Here you go, sir. I hope you enjoy your stay here with us at Dusty Springs Hotel. If there's anything we can do to make your stay more enjoyable, don't hesitate to-"

"Yes, yes" Malfoy says impatiently. "Come on, Hermione" he says as he reaches for my wrist once more.

The receptionist throws me a startled glance. Probably worried about Malfoy's intentions. "Ma'am, is everything alright here?"

"Yes, of course. Everything's fine" I smile at her, trying to appear composed.

She seemed reassured. She sat down again and proceeded to fill in some paper work on her desk.

She seemed reassured. She sits down again and proceeds to fill in some paper work that was lying on her desk.

Malfoy hurries off in the direction of the elevator, dragging me along with him. He pushes the button once. Twice. Three times. When it arrives he pushes me inside before stepping in himself and hitting the button for the second floor.

We don't say a word in the elevator ride. We don't say a word on the corridor to the hotel room. We don't say a word as he pulls me behind him into the hotel room. He closes the door and traps me up against it.

I feel butterflies in my stomach. He's so close. So very close. His face only inches from mine. His body. His heart.

"Why are you torturing me like this?" he asks me, his voice rough.

"Torturing you? But I'm just the Mudblood slut who magically seduced you in order to ruin your_ immaculate_ reputation?"

"Hermione…" he warns.

"What, _Draco_? That's what you're telling all the papers, isn't it? That I'm just some skank who thought it would be a fun game to seduce the great and honourable Draco Malfoy away from his fiancée?" I spit, doing my best to hide the bitterness that was creeping into my trembling voice.

"You know it's not like that. I had to do it. Blaise saw us together. He threatened to go to father and expose-" he was stumbling over his sentences as if trying to convince me as quickly as he could.

"Draco, when are you going to grow up? You can't keep seeking daddy's approval for the rest of your life! You need to stand up to him."

"I'm sorry…it was never supposed to be like this" there was a note of wistfulness in his voice.

"And what was it supposed to be like? Please, enlighten me" I hiss.

"It was supposed to be you and me. Together. Forever. But now you hate me"

"I only hate you because I still manage to care after everything." The atrocious truth.

"Hermione…" he says as he reaches out to touch my cheek.

"No!" I say as I slap his hands away. "No, did you see that I was hurt? Did you see how I was crying? Did you _even_ care?"

"Of course I cared but-"

I push past him and make my way over to the bed. I sit down on the side and ask him quietly "Do you ever think about how it would have been, sometimes?"

"Every single day. I wonder if I'm going to spend my whole life chasing the wrong things. You know, what if nothing else matters because I lost you along the way?"

"You shouldn't taint your life with regret, you know."

"I know! I know. I got everything I wished for and now I don't know if I'm happy. Don't you think I want to get you out of my head? Don't you think that I want to look at my fiancée this way instead of you? But I can't because she's not you. She'll never be you. And I'll always be craving you. Your touch. Your love. And I don't know how to stop it."

"It was a mistake to come here. I can see you're already living out your punishment." I muttered, trying avidly to avoid meeting his steel eyes. "I'll just have to wait. I'm sure people will come around in time. Stop looking at me like I was something that they picked off the end of their shoe." I stand up and start to head for the door.

He stops me though, gently seizing my wrist.

"I still love you more than I can say and I - ."

"Don't" I cut across him doing my best to say it forcibly but I don't succeed. There's a big lump in my throat that won't shift. I can't take much more of this. I want him. He's here. But he's not mine. He's hers, even though she doesn't love him. Even though I do…

"I'm not lying" he whispered hoarsely.

"Prove it" I challenge through teary eyes.

**Lots of Love,**

** Shadowdustxxx**


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